Fumo’s zombie PACs and Condoleezza’s putter

    If you’re a local political junkie, you have to read Miriam Hill and Dylan Purcell’s Sunday Inquirer piece about the political and social legacy of the once-powerful State Senator Vince Fumo, now serving federal time on a corruption rap.

    I’d heard recently that political committees Fumo controlled before his downfall were still around and stocked with a fair amount of cash, controlled by parties uncertain. I’d also heard none of that money had gone for the City Council campaign of Jim Kenney, once Fumo’s Philly chief of staff and member of the Fumo political tribe. Some of it did go to Councilman Bill Green, a favorite of electricians’ union leader John Dougherty, an old adversary of Kenney.

    A fascinating part of the Fumo story is how many formerly close associates of The Vince have cut off all contact with him. Read Miriam and Dylan’s piece here.

    And can you recognize the golfer and caddy pictured above? The guy in the tunic is veteran political media consultant Neil Oxman, who insiders know has an alternate life caddying for golfing legend Tom Watson.

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    The woman is former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who was paired with Watson for a a charity warm-up round for the Regions Tradition tournament on the Champions Tour earlier this month.

    Oxman reports that Rice was “really nice and really gracious and a really great putter. She helped out more than anybody on the team.”

    While they were waiting on the 13th tee, Oxman asked her, “So are you still dating Alec Baldwin?”

    “No,” she said. “He broke up with me by text.”

    None of the golfers around got the reference. If you didn’t either, get an explainer and a fun video of her appearance on 30 Rock here.

    I’m working on a couple of things I hope you’ll enjoy soon – a reflection on reformers who run in elections to win (we had a couple last week), and an interview with New York Times columnist Gretchen Morgenson about her new book on the financial crisis. That should air on Fresh Air tomorrow.

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